A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 eBook

In the morning of the 26th April; we fell in with
a part of the land of Ethiopia, [Southern Africa,]
close adjoining to which is a small island, called
Conie island, [Dassen island] all low land,
and bordered by many dangerous rocks to seawards.
It is in the lat. of 33 deg. 30’ S. The wind
falling short, we were constrained to anchor between
that island and the main, where we had very good ground
in nineteen or twenty fathoms. We sent our boat
to the island, where we found Penguins, geese, and
other fowls, and seals in great abundance; of all which
we took as many as we pleased for our refreshment.
By a carved board, we observed that the Hollanders
had been there, who make great store of train-oil
from the seals. They had left behind them the
implements of their work, together with a great copper
cauldron standing on a furnace, the cauldron being
full of oil; all which we left as we found them.

Having spent two days here at anchor, and the wind
coming favourable, we weighed and proceeded for the
Cape of Good Hope, and arrived, by God’s grace,
at Saldanha on the 30th of April, where we found six
ships at anchor. Two of these, the Hector and
James, were English, and the other four Hollanders,
all homeward bound. We here watered, and refreshed
ourselves well with reasonable abundance of the country
sheep and beeves, which were bought from the natives,
and plenty of fresh fish, which we caught with our
seyne. The 10th May the Pepper-corn arrived here,
likewise homewards bound; and as she was but ill provided
with necessaries, we supplied her from our scanty
store as well as we could spare.

Being all ready to depart with the first fair wind,
which, happened on the 15th May, we then sailed altogether
from the bay, taking leave according to the custom
of the sea, and we directed our course for St Augustine.
In our way we had sight of Capo do Arecife,[107]
part of the main land of Africa, in lat. 33 deg. 25’
S. on the 24th May, the compass there varying 6 deg.
9’. The 15th June we got sight of the island
of St Lawrence or Madagascar, and on the 17th came
to anchor close beside port St Augustine, meaning
to search the soundings and entrance into the bay
before we went in, as there was no one in the ship
well acquainted with it. Having done this, we
went in next day, and came to anchor in ten fathoms,
yet our ship rode in forty fathoms. We had here
wood and water, and great abundance of fresh fish,
which we caught in such quantities with the seyne
as might have served for six ships companies, instead
of our own. But we could get no cattle from the
natives, who seemed to be afraid of us; for, though
they came once to us, and promised to bring us cattle
next day, they seemed to have said so as a cover for
driving away their cattle, in which they were employed
in the interim, and they came no more near us.
Some days after, we marched into the woods with forty
musketeers, to endeavour to discover some of the natives,
that we might buy cattle; but we only found empty houses,
made of canes, whence we could see the people had
only gone away very recently, as their fires were
still burning, and the scales of fish they had been
broiling were lying about. We also saw the foot-marks
of many cattle, which had been there not long before,
and had to return empty handed.